Amitrole-induced cell transformation and gene mutations in Syrian hamster embryo cells in culture

Abstract Amitrole, a widely used herbicide, is an animal carcinogen and an inducer of cell transformation. However, it is inactive as a mutagen in bacterial test systems. Thus, it has been suggested that amitrole is a non-mutagenic carcinogen. Over the dose range that induces morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells in culture, amitrole induced gene mutations at the Na + /K + ATPase and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase loci measured concomitantly in the same cells. These results indicate that amitrole may act via a mutational mechanism.